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NEC 52-inch table disguised as boring office furniture
The problem with Microsoft Surface is that it looks too much like fun. NEC has the right idea: affix some trolley wheels, brush some aluminum, give it a sedate name like "X-info Table" and then maybe, just maybe, traditional businesses will start buying into the idea. The specs, however, are easily sufficient to handle a few rounds of office Pinball HD (as in the photo above): a Core i7 CPU running Windows 7 on the 52-inch full HD screen, 6GB of RAM, three USB ports, support for multiple sub-displays, and a scanning function. There's no price yet, but you can probably expect to pay more for the 350-pound frame than for the computer itself.
Sharp's AQUOS D series 10 gets hip with the online kick
Bargain LCDs are selling like hotcakes, but apparently folks are still buying the higher-end models too. Just a few weeks after announcing its new A series, Sharp is now releasing another new selection of sets, the AQUOS D 10 series. Ranging in size from 32- to 52-inches, the new LCDs have similar specs to the A, including a 1080p resolution, 15,000:1 contrast ratio, a judder-hating 120Hz mode, and the ability to automatically adjust contrast, but will sport one potentially major addition: compatibility with online video content services. Right now streaming seems limited to Yahoo! Japan's online offerings, but if and when these come Stateside here's hoping they have a little Hulu up in there. All are said to be shipping in Japan right now for an undisclosed price. [Via Akihabara News]
Sharp's 52-inch LC-52SB55U LCD HDTV reviewed: a solid value
It's no AQUOS, but then again, no member of the fresh SB series pretends to be. Sharp's largest player in its new "entry-level" family was taken for a spin over at PC Mag, and all in all, they came away quite impressed. The 52-inch LC-52SB55U ditches that 120Hz technology (that we're not too fond of anyway) and sticks with the tried and true 60Hz refresh rate -- all while still offering up a 1080p panel, 1.8-inch bezel and a fixed 2- x 10-inch stereo speaker bar. Critics were immediately impressed with the unit's array of inputs, and overall, the image quality was impressive enough to satisfy the market it's aiming at. The set can be had online for under $1,700 as of right now, and while we'd personally have a tough time biting before Black Friday, those who need an HDTV this very moment probably won't be disappointed.
Westinghouse's budget-priced TX-52F480S LCD HDTV gets reviewed
Money's tight these days, we get that. But we also get that your aging CRT is in dire need of replacing, and Westinghouse's sub-$2,500 TX-52F480S looks mighty fine on paper for the price. Thankfully, the cats over at UltimateAVmag were able to secure the 52-inch LCD HDTV for a review, and it proved to be quite the value overall. Yeah, you'll have to deal with quirks like HDMI 1.2 ports and a complete lack of 120Hz processing, but color reproduction, black level, and shadow detail -- you know, the important stuff -- were all deemed "excellent." It is noted that this set won't blow away any higher priced units, but potentially more importantly, reviewers felt that those on a budget would be thoroughly pleased with what this unit brings to the table.
Toshiba's 52-inch REGZA 52XF550U LCD HDTV reviewed
We know, CES 2008 seems like it took place ages ago, but it was the springboard for a slew of new Toshiba LCD HDTVs. The flagship line (Cinema Series REGZA XF550) just so happened to include a luscious 52-inch flagship named 52XF550U, and the lucky souls over at Sound & Vision managed to get one in for review. The long of short of it is this: the set ain't cheap, but it delivers. Critics found the ultrathin design incredibly desirable, and the crisp, beautiful imagery was smiled upon as well. They did gripe momentarily about its subpar out-of-box color and "soft" picture when using component inputs, but all in all, it performed well enough to earn the coveted "Certified and Recommended" badge. Check the read link for the full writeup and even a few benchmarks.
Hands-on / video with the LG.Philips massive 52-inch multi-touch display
We just got back from the super sneaky secret LG.Philips room at CES where the totally Surface-esque 52-inch multitouch display was being shown off. The 1920 x 1080 screen rocks an interesting infrared image sensor to get data about hand placement and movement, and is capable of doing all kinds of gesture and area recognition from two separate touch points. Check the gallery to get a better view, and watch the video if you're excited about the prospect of a flipping, zooming Google Earth on a screen with multitouch.%Gallery-13146%
Sharp's 52-inch LCD TV prototype: Just 1.1-inches thick!
Like your flat panels flat, we mean, really flat? Then check this, Sharp's prototype LCD which jams a 100,000:1 contrast ratio into a 52-inch LCD display only 20-mm (0.78-inches) thick. Right, we're talking LCD, not OLED. In fact, the entire TV measures just 29-mm (1.14-inches) at its thickest point while covering 150% of the NTSC color gamut and consuming just 140 kWh/year. Shazam! Unfortunately, Sharp fails to mention the resolution but tells us to expect the new TVs sometime in 2010. See her in profile after the break with plenty more over at Japan's Impress in the Via link below.[Via Impress]
Sharp's 65 and 52-inch AQUOS T-Series: world's first THX certified LCDs
Even though Runco announced their development plans first, Sharp appears to be the first to market with a THX certified television. In fact, they've got two: a 65-inch and 52-inch LCD for Sharp's new AQUOS T-series. That THX logo is meant to ensure the best match of brightness and contrast with video processing for a home theater level of video reproduction. Interestingly though, the rated 350cd/m2 brightness and 2,500:1 contrast is a step down from the AQUOS R-series' 450cd/m2 and 3,000:1. Sharp's explanation? They expect these panels to be used exclusively in the darkest of home theaters. Er, ok. As to the rest, you'll get a 1,920 x 1,080 120Hz ASV panel with 3x 1080p HDMI (plus 3x Japanese D5), 1x DVI, 2x Firewire, IrSS, and Ethernet. Both will be ready in Japan come September when you'll need ¥1,417,500 (about $11,599) for the LV-65TH1 or ¥840,000 (about $6,873) for the LV-52TH1. While we have a sneaking suspicion they'll be worth it, we'll be waiting for the reviews before dropping that kind of dough. [Via Impress]
Vizio releasing 52-inch 1080p LCD for $2,200 next month?
We know that many consumers like their flat panels big and cheap even at the expense of quality. No doubt then, Vizio's new "full-HD" 52-inch LCD rumored to sell at Costco next month will be a hit. The $2,200 sets are even said to carry an LG.Philips panel according to DigiTimes' Taiwanese supply chain sources. Promising, but will they bring LED backlighting, 120Hz tech, and 1080p24 HDMI input? Doubtful, but the money you save should keep the fridge swollen with Bud into the foreseeable future.
Samsung launches new 8G plant, cheap 52-inch LCDs on the way?
Fans of cutting edge electronics are usually used to dealing with delays, disappointments and broken promises, but this time it looks like Sony and Samsung are delivering their latest LCD plant well ahead of schedule. The eighth generation facility designed to mass produce the 52-inch HDTVs we love so much should be able to produce as many as 50,000 panels per month starting in July. Samsung is still predicting steep drops in the price of LCDs, with the president seeing the cost of the 52-inch panel lowered to $1,000 by the end of next year.
Nuvision now shipping 52LEDLP
Originally expected in September, Nuvision has slipped its first LED-based DLP RPTV into October as it announced the 52LEDLP is now shipping. The second 1080p LED backlit DLP we've seen after Samsung's HL-S5679W, this 52-inch set with LED "Phlatlight" brings all the benefits expected from the switch from traditional lighting technology, longer life, improved color reproduction, instant on (4 seconds to full brightness). Throw in 500 nits of brightness, over 5000:1 contrast ratio. dual 1080p HDMI inputs and you can see why many people are excited about the prospects of this and future DLPs -- now that this one has shipped, expect larger models to follow soon -- from Nuvision. The $4,399 MSRP still stands although it can be found for quite a bit less. We can't wait to check out a production model in person to see how it compares to the Samsung.
Durham police department in trouble over 1080p DLP HDTV purchase
Usually, congratulations are in order after you purchase a new HDTV, but not so for the Durham Police Department. In need of a replacement for a dead $800 TV, they decided on a 52-inch Mitsubishi DLP for a little over $2,000. From the information available, it looks like they picked up the 1080p WD-52631 with 6-color wheel and Plush1080p image processing for upconverting lower-res signals, at a decent price for the model. The timing of the purchase is what's raising eybrows, while Durham's City Council is reviewing the budget and considering a possible tax increase. We think if they invited the taxpayers over for a little Xbox 360, HD DVD or Blu-ray action all this would blow over and they would realize how totally necessary this equipment is.
Sony, Samsung and Sharp push up 8G LCD production schedules
Whether or not you're actually considering buying one of Sharp, Samsung or Sony's 52-inch 1080p LCDs next year, they're pretty sure you will and as a result are pushing manufacturing schedules up. According to Digitimes, Sony & Samsung's joint manufacturing venture S-LCD is expected to have their eighth generation manufacturing plant ready several months ahead of its original October 2007 launch date. Sharp already has an 8G plant but that's just not good enough, they'll be doubling capacity in March. With heavy price competition among the various "Full HD" LCDs and manufacturing increases, hopefully the 52-inch of 2007 will be the 32-, 37- and 42-inch of this year and last in terms of price drops.
Samsung LN-S5296D 52-inch 1080p LCD coming soon
While Sony's 52-inch KDL-52X2500 LCD is nice, it is still currently announced only for Japan. Meanwhile the Samsung LN-S5296D LCD will be available in the US next month. Featuring similar CCFL backlighting, a 6000:1 "dynamic" contrast ratio, 8ms refresh rate, 10-bit video processor, QAM tuner, CableCard slot, ATSC OTA tuner and hidden TruSurround speakers it makes a decent package at it's $5,999 MSRP. It has plenty of connectors as well, with two HDMI inputs, two component, one RGB and a USB port to round things out. Online retailers are currently listing preorders at $4,999 with an expected ship date of September 8th. At 50 inches for a flat panel under 5 grand, we can see these sets becoming very popular this holiday season and throughout next year, good thing Samsung and Sony will be ramping up production.[Via Technabob]
